How to get up in less common GA aircraft?

[Matthew K]

Hello all!

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions about how to get into the seat of some less common GA aircraft EX: A Cessna 310, mooney, sport planes, etc. I'm currently in flight training and since I want to get my dual engine rating soon after my private pilots license, I'm trying to think of ways I could get up in the air in one before I start training? My local Cessna Pilot Center trains people for twin aircraft, but doesn't have one permanently and instead rents a Cessna 310 occasionally from a private citizen, so getting up in one would be difficult through them unless I was actually taking a lesson.

Also, I've seen people get to ride up in the AOPA's sport planes and other companies sport planes. As far as the AOPA goes would it be possible to ride up with one of their pilots without knowing someone inside the company?

Conclusion: The general purpose of this post is for suggestions on how to get up in less common aircraft than the common Cessna or Piper without paying an arm and a leg since I'm already paying for flight school.

Thanks!

P.S. This is my first post...so go easy on me if there are any mistakes!

 

[eman1200]

hang around your airport and talk to people. if there's a bulletin board, post something up there like "if anyone is looking for company on their next flight, I'm in training and interested in gaining experience in as many types as possible" yadda yadda. spread the word. network. ask your cfi to keep his ears open. u know, that kinda sht.

 

[flyingron]

Go to Oshkosh. Hang around pilots who own interesting airplanes. Almost certainly you can wrangle a ride. I got my first ride in a Navion that way. I've certainly given other people rides that way as well. Drop by Vintage Ops and ask for Ron or Margy.

 

[Hank S]

Add your location to your avatar. Many of us enjoy flying with company. The right seat in my Mooney is sometimes empty . . . I'm in Lower Alabama, whereabouts are you?

 

[Palmpilot]

Unless a person who takes you for a ride in their plane is generous enough to give you free stick time, I would think that the most effective way to get the feel for it would be to go ahead and pay for a lesson. That's the way I did it when I was deciding whether to get checked out in my club's Skycatcher.

Unfortunately, flying isn't cheap.

 

[texasag93]

I have known several guys who became FBO employees (AKA ramp monkeys).

Chat the guys up when you fill up their airplanes and ask for a ride. Learn about the airplanes that you fill up and compliment their airplane.

Tell them that you want to learn from more experienced pilots but not pushy.

 

[jordane93]

Make friends with other pilots with less common aircraft.

 

[Ted]

The planes you list as "less common" are really not that uncommon, you just have to meet the people who have them. It's usually pretty easy to get rides. Show up at a PoA fly-in and you'll find a bunch of interesting airplanes, and a bunch of pilots who will be happy to give you rides in them.

One thing worth doing, see if you can find people who're happy to have someone tagging along on XCs, and tag along. You'll learn a lot that way, especially if you find someone experienced.

 

[champ driver]

Make friends with other pilots with less common aircraft.

It's all in who you know, or meet around the airport, and being in the right place at the right time, maybe you'll get some of that "multi-engine" time.

 

[charheep]

Or become a girl and be pretty. lol
the cork board at your local airports and putting out the word with your CFI should get you a start.

 

[mscard88]

Join your local EAA Chapter.

 

[bradg33]

I have known several guys who became FBO employees (AKA ramp monkeys).

Chat the guys up when you fill up their airplanes and ask for a ride. Learn about the airplanes that you fill up and compliment their airplane.

Tell them that you want to learn from more experienced pilots but not pushy.

This is probably one of the best ways. I worked in various positions at an FBO throughout high school and early college, while I was training and flight instructing. It came with a lot of opportunities to fly different types of airplanes. I had the opportunity to fly not only with customers, but for our sales and maintenance departments. A lot of it is right place/right time luck, but you've got to be at the airport to stumble on those opportunities.

 

[Matthew K]

hang around your airport and talk to people. if there's a bulletin board, post something up there like "if anyone is looking for company on their next flight, I'm in training and interested in gaining experience in as many types as possible" yadda yadda. spread the word. network. ask your cfi to keep his ears open. u know, that kinda sht.

Yea I get what your saying. I could probably mention something to my Flight School about it, but as far as the whole airport goes I fly out of an international airport so it'd be difficult to communicated with multiple companies that people have their planes at.

I have known several guys who became FBO employees (AKA ramp monkeys).

Chat the guys up when you fill up their airplanes and ask for a ride. Learn about the airplanes that you fill up and compliment their airplane.

Tell them that you want to learn from more experienced pilots but not pushy.

That's actually a good idea. I don't think it wouldn't really be the best for me though considering the time I'd have to take just to become a "ramp monkey", especially out of the airport I fly at.

The planes you list as "less common" are really not that uncommon, you just have to meet the people who have them. It's usually pretty easy to get rides. Show up at a PoA fly-in and you'll find a bunch of interesting airplanes, and a bunch of pilots who will be happy to give you rides in them.

One thing worth doing, see if you can find people who're happy to have someone tagging along on XCs, and tag along. You'll learn a lot that way, especially if you find someone experienced.

Yea as far as the less common planes go I really just meant the planes that weren't super common training aircraft haha. Good points.

Join your local EAA Chapter.

That's actually something I never thought of. I'm not sure how active my local one is but I'll be sure to get into contact with them. Thanks.

 

[RyanB]

310's and Mooney's are uncommon? I thought you were gonna say like a Travelair or maybe a Beech 18 or something.

 

[Matthew K]

310's and Mooney's are uncommon? I thought you were gonna say like a Travelair or maybe a Beech 18 or something.

Well where I live all you ever see are single engine cessnas and pipers. So from my perspective/location their uncommon. The reason I mentioned what I did was to be more realistic as to what I might find near me.

 

[RyanB]

Well where I live all you ever see are single engine cessnas and pipers. So from my perspective/location their uncommon. The reason I mentioned what I did was to be more realistic as to what I might find near me.

It might help to say where your location is. You may be able to get something arranged with a POA member.

 

[NJP_MAN]

This is probably one of the best ways. I worked in various positions at an FBO throughout high school and early college, while I was training and flight instructing. It came with a lot of opportunities to fly different types of airplanes. I had the opportunity to fly not only with customers, but for our sales and maintenance departments. A lot of it is right place/right time luck, but you've got to be at the airport to stumble on those opportunities.

I have a friend that has just an instrument rating that works as a ramp monkey. He has time logged in PC12s and starship. He also has flown in beech18s, caravans, Gulfstream 4, CJ3 , cj2 and many other things I cannot think of.

 

[ktup-flyer]

310's and Mooney's are uncommon? I thought you were gonna say like a Travelair or maybe a Beech 18 or something.

Beech 18s are uncommon?

 

[RyanB]

Beech 18s are uncommon?

A lot less common than a 310 or Mooney.

 

[mondtster]

Beech 18s are uncommon?

They're becoming more uncommon. I haven't seen a flying one or one come in or out of any of the local airports any time recently (at least 2 or more years).

The other stuff mentioned in the thread so far is still pretty common.

 

[SkyDog58]

Yea I get what your saying. I could probably mention something to my Flight School about it, but as far as the whole airport goes I fly out of an international airport so it'd be difficult to communicated with multiple companies that people have their planes at.

Well where I live all you ever see are single engine cessnas and pipers. So from my perspective/location their uncommon. The reason I mentioned what I did was to be more realistic as to what I might find near me.

Interesting.

 

[Hank S]

Probably some interesting twins and larger singles through there, but if he's new to GA he won't recognize them--"look at the little airliner" or some such.

 

[Matthew K]

Interesting.

When I say "all you ever see" I'm talking about GA aircraft. Not commercial jets.

I might have exaggerated a small amount in the earlier post, I mean I'll see different types of planes from time to time. But the majority of the time when I'm out all I see are single engine pipers or cessnas. That doesn't mean there's not other types of GA planes in hangars I don't see. It's just what I seem to see the high majority of the time when flying. When I say GA planes I guess I mean planes that aren't constantly used by a company and are actually owned by a private citizen/by a rental company.

 

[Acrodustertoo]

Just marry a rich girl and spend her money flying whatever you want.
Or just hang around the airport, sitting in front of your hangar sippin a cold one and th throwin meat on the grill. Be a good person and a friendly neighbor and they will reciprocate.

 

[rsleeds]

When I say "all you ever see" I'm talking about GA aircraft. Not commercial jets.

I might have exaggerated a small amount in the earlier post, I mean I'll see different types of planes from time to time. But the majority of the time when I'm out all I see are single engine pipers or cessnas. That doesn't mean there's not other types of GA planes in hangars I don't see. It's just what I seem to see the high majority of the time when flying. When I say GA planes I guess I mean planes that aren't constantly used by a company and are actually owned by a private citizen/by a rental company.

Matthew - you've been asked several times to say where you live. A few posts have indicated you might get a ride along or some help from folks on the board if they knew where you are. Provide that information and something fun might work out.

 

[Matthew K]

Add your location to your avatar. Many of us enjoy flying with company. The right seat in my Mooney is sometimes empty . . . I'm in Lower Alabama, whereabouts are you?

I have a friend that has just an instrument rating that works as a ramp monkey. He has time logged in PC12s and starship. He also has flown in beech18s, caravans, Gulfstream 4, CJ3 , cj2 and many other things I cannot think of.

Matthew - you've been asked several times to say where you live. A few posts have indicated you might get a ride along or some help from folks on the board if they knew where you are. Provide that information and something fun might work out.

Alright, alright, I've added the location of my home airport. Fun fact: Gulfstream Jets are built here.

 

[Hank S]

You're in Savanah! Not a good location for GA, fuel isis pricey and the tower made me wait one June at noon, ten minutes in the heat from Ready until they cleared me for takeoff, so an airliner could come in on the crosswind runway. I only needed 40 seconds . . .

 

[Matthew K]

You're in Savanah! Not a good location for GA, fuel isis pricey and the tower made me wait one June at noon, ten minutes in the heat from Ready until they cleared me for takeoff, so an airliner could come in on the crosswind runway. I only needed 40 seconds . . .

Your right about the fuel prices! 100ll at KSAV is $6.67 as of today. I usually always fill up at a nearby small airfield though where the fuel prices were $3.25 as of last Saturday.

Sorry to hear about your experience with the tower. Except for maybe 1 or 2 occasions I've been cleared to take off almost immediately after calling ready.

I see your in Alabama. What brought you over to KSAV?

 

[gismo]

Alright, alright, I've added the location of my home airport. Fun fact: Gulfstream Jets are built here.

One caution for you if you're considering flying with someone you've never met before. Not all pilots are safe to fly with nor are some airplanes. I student pilot "friend of a friend" lost her life in a crash at my home base a few years ago due to an unsafe pilot flying an unsafe airplane. The pilot walked into the FBO and asked if anyone wanted to accompany him on a short flight in a Beech 18 and she accepted. Turned out the plane hadn't flown in more than 10 years and the pilot was repositioning it to an airport 50 miles away where he had a hangar. He was multi-rated but not multi current with only a dozen hours of twin time in the distant past and IIRC had no valid medical either. The airplane wasn't airworthy and he had obtained a "ferry permit" for the flight but didn't get it signed off by an A&P as is required. Had the ferry permit been legal it would have dictated "required crew only" but since he wasn't mult current it wouldn't have been legal to carry pax anyway.

Shortly after he raised the tail both engines began running rough but he continued the takeoff anyway despite the fact that there was plenty of room on the runway to stop at that point. Once he was airborne one engine quit and he VMC rolled it into a house killing the pilot and his eager but clueless passenger.

So don't be afraid to at least ask some questions about the pilot's qualifications and experience as well as a little history on the airplane (like when was it annualed and by whom). IMO any pilot who would be offended by such queries isn't someone I'd fly with. You can probably lead into that by providing your pilot experience level first. Better yet if the pilot's local ask a friendly CFI or two if they know anything about them if you get the chance. Granted this may result in missing out on a few rides but it might make it much less likely for the next flight to be your last.

 

[Hank S]

Your right about the fuel prices! 100ll at KSAV is $6.67 as of today. I usually always fill up at a nearby small airfield though where the fuel prices were $3.25 as of last Saturday.

Sorry to hear about your experience with the tower. Except for maybe 1 or 2 occasions I've been cleared to take off almost immediately after calling ready.

I see your in Alabama. What brought you over to KSAV?

My wife was at a conference. Barnwell SC had cheap fuel on the way home to WV.

 

[yakdriver]

Start hanging out at the airport and talk to guys that have airplanes you would like to fly. Be polite and not pushy. Also go check out some of the outlying uncontrolled fields in your area. There is usually some unusual types around. Find someone like me that likes to promote aviation to young people or anyone interested in flying. I'm usually flying something different and feel guilty if I fly the N3N solo. Don

 

[gismo]

Start hanging out at the airport and talk to guys that have airplanes you would like to fly. Be polite and not pushy. Also go check out some of the outlying uncontrolled fields in your area. There is usually some unusual types around. Find someone like me that likes to promote aviation to young people or anyone interested in flying. I'm usually flying something different and feel guilty if I fly the N3N solo. Don

If you meet someone locally based with an airplane you'd like to fly, ask if you could trade some assistance with caring for the plane for a ride "someday". Things like cleaning the bugs off the leading edges and wheelpants are a chore that most any owner would appreciate some help with. And I'll bet that half of the owners would respond by offering a ride without the assistance. IMO that's more polite than just begging for rides and more likely to get you what you want.

If you do end up helping, be sure to query the owner about any special concerns or issues to be considered when "assisting" and exercise extreme care.

 

[yakdriver]

I agree and always offer to pay for fuel. But you might end up on a tall ladder wiping bugs off the top wing. Don

 

[gismo]

I agree and always offer to pay for fuel. But you might end up on a tall ladder wiping bugs off the top wing. Don

I can think of worse places to be.